ECLIPSE Bonus Page is Up!

Unbelievable, I know, but I got moving and got the page up earlier than planned. The password is featured at the end of the initial article on Finding Creativity in the Summer issue of the magazine. Come one, come All, ECLIPSE readers, and share your thoughts–see you there! (Link above and to your right under ‘Pages’)

And for those who still need their copy of ECLIPSE, with detailed forecasts for the coming three-month period, articles on the creative complex, Pluto, and so much more, get it here http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com/new-summer-2010-eclipse/ Thank you!

The Last of July 2010

We get a late start to the day (at least, sleepy West Coasters do!) with a mid-Pisces Moon-what is it we all seem to be waiting for? I think it’s mostly the Mars/ Chiron quincunx at 29 degrees–it makes an atmosphere where it feels like we may need to get up and run any second (or where something might run toward us, and hurt us!) There’s a pressure on to act, to heal, and to access the unique skills, and no matter what we’re doing, it feels like we’re sitting around on our duffs doing nothing. Saturn opp Uranus in the Cardinal 00 degree epitomizes a very similar energy, this time with a more ‘should I stay or should I go?’ (or is it ‘should I sit tight or totally disrupt the party?’) feel, but in any case the energy is one of restlessness and even compulsion, and this gets worse for late July as on the 30th Mars comes to conjunct Saturn at 00 Libra and the Moon moves to conjunct Uranus at 00 Aries, this latter beginning at 1:41 PM PDT, also on the 30th.

Juno quincunxes Neptune=imagination, creativity, and ideals can empower, if we’ll make the needed adjustment; otherwise we could take a wrong turn trying to feel we have command of things.  By the 7 PM hour PDT of the 29th the Moon will oppose Venus, bringing some vital awareness to the love or finances situation, and this is all positive in the sense that what we see is what we need to see and accept in order to make the situation better–use this event to your advantage, as by the 5 AM hour PDT of the 30th Venus is trine Sedna in Earth and love or money may be nowhere to be found; that’s the impression, as love won’t have fled so much as be so cunningly camouflaged that we can’t see it–and if it’s in the financial area that this occurs for you, the feeling of being poverty-stricken, or suddenly not having the required assets for the task, may deal a big blow to the ego and the emotions via the sense of security that will have vanished. Know that this is temporary, with the effect gone in no more than a day or two; know, though, that you’re not seeing reality so much as getting a glimpse of what could be if . . . .

By the 31st the Moon in Aries will trine the Sun in the 6-8 AM hour PDT–if you have placements 8-ish Sag this could be a fulfilling day for you, with the Sun and Moon co-operative spirit offering balanced completion or revelation in matters related to the body involved. Also on this day the Sun squares Pallas, lighting up what’s smart (and also how we may be avoiding the wise course in favor of something less so).

The aura of generalized tension that pervades the last of July appears to each of us to have particular, personal sources–and yet if it exists for all, it’s more likely we’re under a mass effect that we are as individuals choosing to accept as unique and assign to what looks like an upset in our lives. This should tell us two things: that it’s not what we think it is that’s bothering us, and that it’s not all about us! This should be freeing, if we can let go of that compulsion to attend to and fix and meddle that we are convinced will finally allow us relief, because it won’t. Take it easy, do your best, but know that nothing will change the current atmosphere–and then vow to relieve the tension harmlessly, gently, with acceptance of things as they are.

I’ll be taking a short break in August, but a nearly daily forecast is available in ECLIPSE http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com/new-summer-2010-eclipse/ If you like the forecasts here on the blog, you’ll love the ones in the magazine, as they’re more detailed, with special notes on the upcoming retro Mercury, the direction of Pluto, and the once-every-18 months retrograde of Venus, what it means and how to handle it + ‘What You Won’t See on the Blog’ for New and Full Moons, as well as articles on Pluto, the 6th House, the Creative Complex, and much more! Only $4.95 http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com/new-summer-2010-eclipse/  Thank You!

28 July 2010: Pointing Out Our Creative Clout

Though with a Pisces Moon encouraging a mellow (what a ’70s word!) creative atmosphere (and with this peaking at 3-5 PM PDT as the Moon trines Pallas in Water), we might wonder at those energies making a low-level but persistent irritation for us; they may harsh our buzz, if you’ll pardon the hippie-talk, without us understanding exactly why–the discord is seemingly contained in a handful of aspects that we’ll review here.

First, the Mars/ Chiron quincunx at 29 degrees of their respective signs=it’s a feeling of Earth emergency v. Air emergency as the two energies vie for attention. The doing energy of Mars calls us to remedy the material/ physical situation, but we are thinking we’re wounded, or that this is a situation we must heal, rather than change with action. It’s a matter of perspective; the Saturn/ Uranus opposition plays on this, with this long-term energy of stasis v. radical change being hit by transiting Mercury–with Merc’s quincunx to Uranus causing spontaneous, quirky, and unnecessarily radical and rebellious thoughts–great for invention, innovation, and the creative ‘lift,’ and bad for everything else, as it inserts a level of excitement that may be interpreted by our brains as fear.

There’s also the quincunx between Juno and Neptune, offering creative empowerment if we’ll take the energy in hand and acknowledge Self-responsibility (both for what we created and what we make of what’s handed to us). This all, Juno, Neptune, Chiron, Mars, makes a loose Finger of God that suggests if we take advantage of (and responsibility for) the energies we can make something that is greater than the sum of its parts. Not a bad promise at all.

Mars/ Saturn (solid action, or suppression) opposes Uranus/ Jupiter (bursts of innovative energy, or exaggerated instability) and all squared by Pluto, suggesting we can destroy or transform using this impetus–it’s not over yet.

On the radar: by tomorrow Venus squares Ceres; expect something along these lines: values, finances, or relationships are challenged by authorities or the maternal force; or one’s aesthetics are dissed by Mom; or two ladies clash, and it’s obvious they have different asset-sets (and so different priorities/ weaknesses/ strengths) which likely stir jealousy and a competitive desire to ‘win’ on both sides. This is an energy that can seem to jump out of nowhere (especially when we feel very ‘together’ and so think we’re invulnerable to this kind of emotion and tender-ego response!)

Want to know what’s coming? Want to explore your own ‘creative complex’? Want to be in on the inside discussion at the mag’s private page (coming August 1st)? Grab the newest ECLIPSE http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com/new-summer-2010-eclipse/ And to all those who’ve already so generously supported the mag–Thank You!

Don’t want to miss any new postings here? Irritated by aggregators that don’t pick up every post, and you don’t get the scoop in a timely way? Sign up for email notifcation of every new entry (upper right of this page) or capture the RSS feed in your favorites (also uppoer right).

Today’s Link: Excellent commentary on Saturn/ Uranus: http://chirotic.wordpress.com/2010/07/26/the-war-of-earth-and-sky/

Excerpts from Summer 2010 ECLIPSE!

Azoth-Fouth woodcut circa 1659 {{PD-Art}}

On Mozart, from ‘Finding the Artist in You’:

Neptune makes only one other aspect: a quincunx to the South Node, which sits in Pisces. Ah ha! There it is, a Neptunian experience from the past that is so strong it allows the individual to block out much of what the Soul insists on in order to create in the purest way possible. Many contemporaries noted how Mozart seemed to transcribe already finished pieces directly to paper, and it’s true that his works show few erasures or corrections, suggesting he composed and orchestrated in his imagination first–a very Neptunian thing to do. And a quincunx would’ve meant the energies would always be chafing at each other, Neptune imagining and creating, the South Node the presence of memory that would not allow the creative nature to rest, as well as allowing Neptune to draw directly from the well of tribal, past life, and even cellular memory

And from ‘Aphrodisiac Foods: A Tongue-in-Cheek Guide to Feeding the One You Love’:

Taurus: does not eat standing up–if you knew only Tauruses you would think that humans are unable to consume anything without bending their knees. Likes slow-roasted meats, ox on a spit, pig in a pit, will order everything with a baked potato. Offer them a feast, even if it’s just a pizza: spread it out, fan the napkins, never rush them. For a real meal, try an artisanal bread and cheeses plate; butter lettuce with Roquefort dressing; consommé; risotto with asparagus; Beef Wellington with glazed carrots and potatoes Anna; torte. Secret loves: blood pudding (Aries likes this, too), beer, beef, Skittles®, anything chocolate, especially brownies, the latter explaining why every Taurus you know has chocolatey crumbs at the corners of his mouth 24/7. Will be happy with a bowl of porridge, too, as long as there’s a tuffet where they can settle down to eat it

PLUS! Detailed forecasts for August, September, and October- Don’t miss out- Get Yours Today!

 Only $4.95!

Includes access to a private page at Julie Demboski’s Astrology for magazine readers only (begins 1 Aug)

http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com/new-summer-2010-eclipse/

26-27 July 2010: Those Sassy Virgins

My attention is grabbed right away by a line-up in Virgo–I can’t look away, in fact, from those sassy virgins! We have Venus, Vesta, and Mars, each one five degrees from the one before. This would seem to say very little on the surface, and yet I feel that it may be the heart of a major dynamic through tomorrow. Virgo says attentive to detail, but critical; fussy, but open to nature; counting the harvest, but personally accountable, as well. What we have, then, are the basic man-woman drives, indeed, the drives that literally keep the human race going, in a dynamic tension around the Vesta component, and that could center on those things to which we dedicate our lives, that are sacred to us, and involve the home, and the sex life. Within the individual, it suggests an ego or action urge that must bow to relationships, values, and perhaps finances. Among individuals, we’ll likely choose either Mars or Venus–if we’re Mars, we’ll be the one pushing to act, to get our own way, or to express the Self, while if we’re Venus we may be saying, ‘Hold it! Our relationship, our finances, or the things we both hold as important should stop you!’ with the implication that whatever Mars wants could be destructive to existing assets. Vesta suggests that those things most honored, our home, or our intimate relations are threatened if Mars expresses–or at least, that’s what Venus wants him to think.

Resolution may lie in the quincunx Mars makes to both Neptune and Chiron, with his energy falling just between them. This could say that Mars may act if he’s willing to adjust, allowing for ideals (Neptune) and utlizing skills (Chiron) rather than just his usual lancing about. The Moon in Aquarius will move on through today and tomorrow to conjunct Neptune and Chiron and quincunx Venus, Vesta, and Mars. Expect an emotional opening up that arrives via intellectual understanding, probably starting around 1 AM PDT of the 27th, and continuing through the Void that begins at 12:21 AM on the 28th.

I think everything else is mostly a continuation of energies we’re already familiar with (and some that feel like they’ll never end!) There are a few things: Of course, today saw the Sun quincunx Pluto, which likely re-acquainted us with some things we’ve been able to ignore lately; the up side is we now know what needs to be handled, cleared out, tackled, or reformed. Mercury enters Virgo, 2:42 PM PDT on th 27th, emphasizing that whole Virgo vibe and upping the critical thinking quotient, and Juno may give Mars some assistance as she moves early evening of the 27th to sextile Mars in Cancer and offer empowerment through simple caring–she offers a gauge for the Martian assertiveness that helps the Self take others into account.

The Summer issue of ECLIPSE is here! http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com/new-summer-2010-eclipse/

Good News and Bad News

Now that we’re all basking in the light of this Full Full Full Moon, it’s time to publish the NEW Fall issue of ECLIPSE! The good news is it’s bigger than ever, with an expanded, almost day-by-day forecast for August, September, and October, special sections on the upcoming Mercury retrograde, advice on the effects and best way to deal with Venus retrograde, the direction of Merc and Pluto that’s almost simultaneous, and so much more!

The bad news is, 1) I’m still the only astrologer writing it, so you may suffer a slight overdose of me, and 2) I’ve decided to raise the price, as these past ten months (the time I’ve been putting these issues together) have shown me that I want to continue to do this, but my client time, and thus my income, has suffered dramatically. Now that I’m sure I’ll continue to make the investment of time and energy, I feel like I need to change things up, and get in for the long-haul–and a hike in the price will allow me to make it, along with the blogs (especially Been There, Done That, which I’ve neglected) the focus of my daily efforts.

Check out the current issue, Summer 2010, here http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com/new-summer-2010-eclipse/ And thank you!

Full Moon July 2010: Culminatous Interruptus

The Full Moon for July occurs on the 25th at 6:36 PM Pacific time at 2 Aquarius 59. First we’ll look at it using our strict 2 degree orb for events, then we’ll expand our view slightly, and see if this might bring in other, more subtle factors.

The Moon/ Earth conjunction in Aquarius has only two aspects, a sextile to Jupiter in Aries, and a semi-sextile to Pluto in Capricorn (and of course, the opposition to the Sun that is the reason for the event in the first place!) A meeting of Moon and Earth in a sign that’s all about cerebral concepts is not a great fit; the emotions and intuition ‘ground’ themselves in the material environment–an excellent concept in itself, connecting the emotions and extrasensory input to the physical surroundings, creating an understanding that is greater than its parts–but the sign in which this occurs, Aquarius, is mental, rather than intuitive, and doesn’t get any more physical than electricity, itself essentially invisible. That means our Moon/ Earth meeting, a time when the combination of these most ephemeral attributes in interplay with our material world should be coming to intuitive and emotional culmination through both the spirit and material results, will likely not reach a fulfilling conclusion, not because this isn’t available, but because we will try to translate things through the mind (Aquarius) only; there will be influences from our own dark or practical nature and from external destructive forces (Pluto in Cap) and pressure from the social sphere to perceive things in a particular manner that emphasizes ego fulfillment and separateness (the ‘I am society, and society is me’ of Jupiter in Aries).

What if we widen our orb? Does this make anything about the situation any clearer (or, what we’re really looking for, does it give us a way out of an inevitable misperception?) If we widen our orb to 3 degrees, we bring in a sextile to Uranus at the Aries Point, and a trine to Saturn in Libra. Hmm, this may help us pinpoint ‘trouble sources’ that could be what tries to push us in the wrong direction for a successful intuitive/ spiritual/ material culmination. The sextile to Uranus suggests, perhaps, two things: one, that our own rebellious nature, intellectual bent, Higher Mind, or wish to be different might steer us wrong–or, two, that a group or social cataclysm (not necessarily a disaster, but rather a group demand) might come forward and in effect disconnect us from our own intuitive nature–and so disconnect us from our chance to gain a sense of fulfillment and closure from this Full Moon moment. The trine to Saturn in the sign of partnership is amusing in this context: we may dig in our heels in a relationship that is just over, and that normally would be brought to an end with the energy offered by a Full Moon.

The Sabian for the Full Moon is ‘A Deserter from the Navy’–are we surprised? This is the abandonment of a cause by the most martial of water bearers–the individual who runs from something (in this day and age) to which he or she has quite willingly committed him- or herself. This suggests, in light of the Uranus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto aspects, that the individual destructive and rebellious urges may win out, though with some caveats. Just because one runs away from the group doesn’t mean they are no longer a member–truly severing ties is quite different from the symbolic act, or the simply rebellious one. This may symbolize that ‘the ties that bind,’ which might normally end with this Full Moon, may drag on, with plenty of pointless rebellions, incidents of lashing out for freedom, and ‘pretend’ destructive or transformative episodes as a result.

The end of something may feel premature at this point; or, we just may not be done acting out, making our intellectual point to the other party or to the group. The energy is best handled with the understanding that the mentality is too active in the decision-making process to provide a truly accurate picture–and as long as we know that, we can accept that the rationalizing and reasoning that we may be inclined to will not get us to the heart of the matter. Understanding (Aquarius) that we are at a kind of midpoint, rather than a culmination, at least in energy terms, will help us embrace the positive portions of the Full Moon process (which strongly support mental accomplishment, original creative acts, and innovative activities) while minimizing the more dramatic, disaffected, or chaotic influences to our response.

Warning: the title is not a real Latin phrase–like in the old Roadrunner cartoons, I believe everything goes better with a sophisticated seeming taxonomic designation!

For a much more detailed, Sabian-centered analysis, see Today’s Link by the excellent Lynda Hill http://sabiansymbols.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/07/index.html

22 July 2010: Take-Out Emotions

The Sun moves into Leo today, and I think that might be good for all of us; it will trine Uranus and sextile Saturn, drawing some of the tension off the opposition. Leo is an energy of grace and enthusiasm, and this aspect can help align the individuality urges with the need for structure, focus, and containment, a dissonance that has been bothering everyone for some time now. Notice that natural channels appear for your expression, and embrace and use those that resonate for you at the deepest levels. This is a time for excellent progress in areas where you are both gifted and able to concentrate–make sure both elements are present to insure best use of this influence.

Mercury is closely square Sedna and still within trine to Ceres; this suggests we just don’t know what we’re communicating, especially about ourselves (Leo placement). The trine, however, does allow us to do this with authority! The result may be that we are revealing ourselves to others (and this is not a bad thing, just perhaps more real than we’re actually bargaining for), but that what we’re pushing/ promoting, consciously and unconsciously, is accepted as having worth, and that we have some clout or knowledge behind our assertions. Great for getting our message across and accepted, but we can end up having others give us credit or responsibility we didn’t earn (or aren’t prepared for).

3 PM-ish PDT we see the Moon quincunx Juno and square Mars; our personal effectiveness and power become an issue, in the realm of what’s important to us, on the home front, and in intimate relationships. We may wonder why this is coming up, as it seems we’ve done nothing to warrant it, but the reality is we’ve been asserting our emotions, reaching out with them (Sagittarius), and we’re letting our wants be known–and not everyone cares to hear about our demands! It’s not that we’re so adamant, it’s just that others are easily irritated, just as we’ll be with them. Giving everyone a lot of slack (we have to remember that part of the tension is related to the coming Full Moon), and not responding too quickly, will keep us from wasting our energy on trivial sparring–because what’s sure about this is that not much will change–everyone’s too Willful!

Sextiles to Neptune and then Chiron finish out the Sag Moon, either uniting creativity and skills and backing them with the emotions, or pulling the emotions (because this is easy, with a sextile) into a round of hurtful brooding and fantasizing–your choice.

Void begins 1:25 AM PDT on the 23rd, and it’s notable that the Sun, of course, has already moved on, causing the Moon to miss forming an aspect with it during its transit of Sagittarius. This symbolically suggests a little more disconnect than we might otherwise anticipate between the emotions and the sense of identity–just something to keep in mind.

Moon enters Capricorn 1:38 AM PDT, immediately creating a T-square with Saturn/ Uranus and quincunxing the Sun. The emotions are challenged: to stay on track, to not be caught suffering between the clamp-down of Saturn and the anarchy of Uranus–and of course the inclination is to clamp down, with the Moon too ready to retreat to its quiet little box. If you want to keep from shutting down from contradictory emotional overload, make the box you put your emotions in a take-out box, maybe one with easy-open flaps and a little metal handle for carrying. Choose a place and take the emotions somewhere you actually want them to go. Have an emotional picnic, shaking them out of the box, letting them feel the sunlight, and giving them room to breathe without making them feel a departure from a straightjacket means instant chaos.

Next up: the Full Moon report! ‘Till then, have a great one!

Today’s Link: on eclipses and cycles http://lunarreflections.blogspot.com/ and for the investors among us http://astrologymundo.wordpress.com/2010/07/21/stay-out-of-stocks-after-july-22/ So far today the market’s up; take your winnings and skedaddle!

21 July 2010: Neptune Inspires Us

The Sun sextile Saturn forms the base to a Finger of God with apex Neptune, and here’s the thing: this could be pointing the way for today, if we can organize ourselves and envision solid goals. Neptune in Aquarius will receive the energy, taking it to a level that is imbued with ideals and creativity, and a high degree of ability to conceptualize–but only if we can turn our attention completely in the direction of the productive (Saturn). But we can’t ignore Chiron; it’s there, conjunct Neptune, acting as its own potential, separate outlet for the Sun/ Saturn co-operation, and this could come forward as a call to bring the Chirotic skills out to play. If we can combine both Neptune and Chiron, we can enjoy a tremendously effective and energetically ‘charged’ opportunity to further our material and real-life agendas. A scant few will be distracted by the Chiron wound–and if that’s you, it’s an indication that you need to address the place that the primal hurt holds in your consciousness. It suggests you are so focused on ‘living the hurt’ that you may miss opportunities to seriously improve things for yourself.

Juno sextiles Mars, each 5 degrees from one of the base bodies (Mars to Saturn, Juno to Sun), offering a kind of shadow effect, with empowerment efforts and action combining to support the Neptune/ Chiron positive expression (or to act out the Chirotic wound, this latter likely in a Neptunian way that involves avoiding reality, somehow).

Meanwhile the Sagittarius Moon takes all day to work its way to a square to Venus, sextile to Zeus, and quincunx to the South Node, 3 PM-ish PDT. We may be cruising along until this forms, then POW! our freewheelin’ ways run up against unexpected and relatively unpleasant relationship or financial issues, and they’re likely repeats from the past–so that our protestations about what a surprise they are don’t really hold up–we could’ve seen it coming, if we’d only been able to acknowledge that the issues weren’t resolved.

By 8 AM PDT of the 22nd the Moon conjuncts Ceres, squares Vesta, and soon thereafter trines Mercury and quincunxes Sedna. This unites the emotional Self with a sense of authority and a strong conscious connection to nature, but this may challenge what we honor, or may disrupt the home or sex life, and this all gets communicated, perhaps without our realizing it. It’s a slippery, weird emotional slope where we only want to follow natural inclinations that make us feel strong, and the next thing we know we’ve stepped on a variety of toes. No way around it, just stay as conscious as possible, and perhaps refrain from volunteering info we don’t really need to share.

And have a great day! Very shortly we’ll have a new issue of ECLIPSE and the new book on Juno–watch for details!

20 July 2010: A Mortal Moment

The Moon in late Scorpio is only going to do gentle things: sextiles to Mars and Earth, trines to the Sun and Juno, an opposition to Sedna (with perhaps a kind of hollow effect; the only problem being if at that time–2-4 AM PDT, roughly speaking, we are trying consciously to connect with our emotions–then, maybe, a problem, otherwise, nothing discernible)–oops, there is one thing, one little thing, the Moon square Neptune, 12:30 PM PDT to 3-ish, suggesting that the emotions may mislead. Hold that idea very carefully within, because the possibilities are greater than is our ability to anticipate what may occur, and just when we assume we know the form this will take, something else pops up.

Overlapping this square to Neptune, around 2:30 the Moon squares Chiron and sextiles Saturn, while these two are in very close quincunx (a two minute variation), with Chiron being the body of latest degree. This says to me that at the same time we can’t count on emotions to ‘tell true,’ we could be mislead in a second way, by hurt and the simple reality of our circumstances. This period may bring that feeling we’ve all had at one time or another, where we become acutely aware of all life’s rough edges. It doesn’t mean something bad will happen, but rather indicates that we may be hyper-sensitive to our own vulnerability; it’s a ‘mortal moment,’ where we get a glimpse of ourselves and the Cosmos without the usual wrapping of love and narrowed focus that allows us to get out of bed in the morning with a minimum of fear and function without too much brooding on existential questions.

The Moon has a phenomenally short Void, beginning at 4:47 PM PDT; the best thing about this is that it will end our awareness of the ‘mortal moment’ and bring our attention back to the world, which appears to have regained its familiar shapes and shadows. It lasts a single minute, with the Moon entering Sagittarius at 4:48 PM PDT, and changing our outlook significantly. Where we were all gloom and doom a few hours ago, now we feel we could leap a tall building in a single bound–sounds super, no? We really will feel capable of tackling anything, so save your impossibles for this point, and attempt them then.

The 10:30 PM-ish trine of the Moon to Jupiter only magnifies the Uranus trine feeling, but as always with the greater benefic, overdoing and over confidence are a distinct possibility–do your reaching out with some care, and if you’re venturing into territory that’s unfamiliar, a little knowledge could help. Sag is great for educating the Self, as well as being able to go forward with a little faith–and fair combination of the two will help you get the most from this Moon.

Favorite mini-aspects for today: Venus semi-sextile Zeus (ay-carumba! Passion, sex, and desire are easily stirred) and Earth semi-sextile Neptune (dreaming can change the environment, or even materialize what lies in our imaginations–the caveat is, be careful what you fantasize about!)

And have a great one!

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